Second Best
by SoRightItsWrong
Summary: It's sad when your his girlfriend, but still second best. Sally/Derek/Casey


**A/N **: Here's a new one for you guys. A tad bit different than my usual. As always constructive criticism is great. I love hearing feedback from all of you! Also, I read a story by snappleducated. I got quite inspired by her story-- which is amazing! So all credit goes to her for the premise of the story line.

**Something you should know for this story**----- italicized means Casey. Or if I used _them_ italicized it means Casey and Derek. Basically, Sally is referring to Casey as 'her' throughout the story. But Sally is also referring to herself as 'her.' Its may be hard to understand which is why I italicized the confusing parts of the story.

Finally – Dedicated to _WhenLighteningStrikes... _Your amazing for listening to me ranting and raving. I love you! And I promise to review and respond :)

**Disclaimer**: The other day I went to the mall and sat on Santa's lap. He 'ho ho ho'ed' and asked me what I wanted. I told him the rights to Life With Derek. He said I was crazy and to old for Santa. To say the least, I am not expecting Santa to come crawling down my chimney this Christmas with the rights to this TV show.

_____

Lets start at the beginning. Before things were complicated. A day when things were relatively normal... The day when Sally met Derek.

She first saw him across the room. And it wasn't like in the movies where everything slows down and you just know 'that's the guy for me'. But he was cute and he had sloppy brown hair and a charming grin. And she couldn't really say why she paid so much attention to him. Maybe it was because for once someone actually wanted her. Really wanted her. (Like "until I have you I'll keep coming after you" kind of wanting.) Or maybe it was because he made her feel like she was important. (Almost as if she finally mattered to someone.)

When they started working together she just knew he was going to get her to say yes. (After all it was Derek Venturi.) But she had fun pretending not to want him. (It almost made her feel powerful. And she really liked that feeling.) And maybe she teased him a little bit. (But wasn't that what you were supposed to do?) And yeah, she got jealous when he talked to other girls. (But that was part of the game to.)

After awhile she sees he's getting bored with the game... (or whatever it is.) And she's almost to scared to let herself open up to him. (But she's starting to realize how much she needs him.) So she does what any girl would do. She seduces him. (And its definitely not like in the movies.) Sure he makes her feel beautiful and pretty, and all the things she knows she's supposed to feel, but at the end she's almost sure she hears a different name come out of his lips. (.Casey... no Sally)

The day he tells her he wants her to meet his family she says yes. And she's nervous and excited because maybe she finally has someone real whose going to care about her. (Their everything she wished for and she knows its perfect... almost.) His siblings are funny and nice, and his step-mother hugs her immediately. His father George makes her feel welcome and she can see that they all clearly love each other. (If only she were smarter then she would have realized love was the whole problem.)

But its only when _she_ walks through the door that she gets worried. Because he touches _her_ a bit to long and in between those heated arguments he gets this glint in his eye. The family takes it good naturally, but she's always been good at reading people, and she sees the worry in their eyes. (And maybe she's not completely sure yet, but she's thinking there's more to it than... this.)

_____

It's been weeks since he introduced his family to her and she thinks she's falling in love with all of them. (She's starting to realize what a real family is.) And everything is going great for Derek and her. He's happy with them. (She's sure of it... well almost.) It's just she gets these glimpses of something else. Something sickening that she doesn't even want to imagine. (Of course he can't love _her_ can he?) But when he fights with _her_ she catches these looks. Looks he's never even given his own girlfriend. It makes her scared to even think it... but its so obvious.

And sometimes at night she'll call him up just to see how he is. (And maybe just to make sure he's alone.) At times he'll ask her to come over, and he says it like he needs her so much. (But she can hear his ragged breath's and she kind of wonders if maybe he just got done fighting with _her_.) But still she comes because he said he wants her so much and she can't let him be alone. (The repercussions might be bad... because maybe this time instead of going to his girlfriend he'll go to _her._) And when she's lying underneath him she notices his closed eyes and she (almost) wants to sob. Because it's not her anymore with him but the other girl. (The one he would die for. The one he would die to be with.)

_____

She's beginning to wonder if the family knows to. After all how oblivious can they be? But it's only when she sees _them_ together, that she can really believe it herself. Because he laughs and calls her "Space-Case" and "Klutzilla". And maybe his hand lingers a little to long on her back when she trips. Or how he yells at her and stands just a little to closely to be considered siblings. (He's fire and she's ice and it really shouldn't work... but it does.)

_____

One day she asks him. (But she's guessing their playing a new game. Its called Denial.) She decides not to call him out on it. (Because think of everything she would be losing.) Another day goes by and she realizes something. She is exactly like _her_. Maybe she's a little less crazy and blonde. But she likes helping people and she cries during sad movies. And above all else they both fell for a guy with sloppy brown hair and a charming grin.

_____

Everyone is learning to settle now. Just like they did before. (Nora still gives her hugs and his siblings still adore her... but its different.) Because she's starting to realize what its like to be the replacement. George still welcomes her with open arms and _she _still smiles and greets her. (But the fire between _them_ is still there.) And Sally realizes that the family was never that oblivious. They know everything after all. How his son is in love with her daughter. (And how they willingly let Sally be second best.)


End file.
